Now in its fifth year as an essential summer festival in Louisiana, the Bastille Day Fête is expanding! For the first time, Bastille Day Fête will transform the New Orleans Museum of Art into the “bal des pompiers”, or “Firemen’s Ball”, a traditional celebration of the French National Day!

The festivities will take place on Friday, July 15 from 4pm – 10pm. An evening of dancing and entertainment can be enjoyed inside NOMA, as well as in front of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden.

2016 Highlights Include:

Musical performances by the Lost Bayou Ramblers, Gisele Bonfaire, and Bon Bon Vivant

The Annual Bastille Day Dog Contest

A French “village” featuring delicious French cuisine and specialty cocktails

Cooking demonstration by Café NOMA

An extended program of children’s activities including a puppet show presented by The French Library and a fire truck tour

A special visit by the Merry Antoinettes

Bilingual tours of NOMA’s French collection

A light show presented by the Solomon Group

Activities outside the museum are free to the public. Activities inside the museum are free for NOMA members, $5 for non-members. Admission is free for press and media.

Grégor Trumel, Consul General of France in Louisiana, said: “Bastille Day Fête is the biggest celebration of French National Day in Louisiana. It brings people together to celebrate the summer and our common heritage with joy, dancing, and fun! Louisiana is the Francophone hub of the United States!”

Aurélie Champvert, Executive Director of the Alliance Française of New Orleans, said: “This festival grows larger every year – it’s really exciting! We’re especially proud of the children’s program, in partnership with The French Library, which is more developed than ever. There’s plenty for the whole family to do. It’s a real highlight of the summer!”

"As we approach our city's Tricentennial, the annual Bastille Day festivities reminds all of us of the critical role France has held in our history," said Mark Romig, President and CEO of the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation and President and CEO of the 2018 NOLA Foundation. "This event allows citizens and visitors alike to celebrate the vitality and richness of our city's French heritage and to continue the bonds of friendship for years to come."

Bastille Day Fête 2016 is happy to be part of the Friday Nights at NOMA programming schedule. The event is presented in partnership by the Alliance Française of New Orleans, the Consulate General of France in Louisiana, the French-American Chamber of Commerce, and the New Orleans Tourism & Marketing Corporation.

More information and a full calendar of Bastille Day events happening in the New Orleans area can be found at www.bastilledaynola.com.

Help us spread the word on social media with #BeFrenchLA !

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ABOUT BASTILLE DAY

The French National Day (Bastille Day) commemorates the storming of the Bastille, a fortress prison in Paris, on July 14, 1789. This event marked the first step towards bringing democracy to France. Today, on July 14, la Fête nationale is celebrated across the French-speaking world most commonly with the “bal des pompiers”(“Firemen’s ball”), a celebration of music, dancing in the streets, parades and firework displays.

The Alliance Française of New Orleans is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 1984 and incorporated in the State of Louisiana. Its mission is to promote knowledge and appreciation of the French language and Francophone cultures, and to encourage friendship and collaboration with the French-speaking world. The Alliance Française offers French language courses, language certifications, cultural activities and online resources to the local community.

The Consulate General of France in Louisiana was founded in 1803, following the sale of the Louisiana territory to the United States by Napoleon Bonaparte. It is oldest French consulate in the United States. The Consulate’s principal missions include: consular assistance to the French community in Louisiana; support of French language educational programs; development of French cultural initiatives; facilitation of economic exchange between France and Louisiana. The Consul General of France in Louisiana, Mr. Grégor Trumel, is the Consulate’s chief of mission.

The French American Chamber of Commerce, Gulf Coast Chapter, is an independent non-profit private organization dedicated to promoting and developing trade and investment between France and the Gulf Coast. The Chamber is one of 19 chapters of the French-American Chamber of Commerce in the United States of America.